Search Results for Tag: orphans

Love first for Cameroonian charity founder

On a trip to South Africa a few years ago, Jesse Carlton Ndongo, 21-year-old student from Cameroon, was touched by the large number of children he met who’d been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. He saw first-hand the pain and anguish they face, but also noticed that they seem to be neglected by the rest of society. He felt that he had to do something about it. So three years ago, he founded the Carlton Smile Charity on Easter Sunday.

The charity is already active in five African countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon, South Africa and Zimbabwe – and has plans to expand even further. Carlton tries to stand out from other organizations in that he doesn’t focus first on giving the kids material goods. Instead, his first priority is to show them love.

Adoptive mom in Uganda provides food and love to 13 girls

Four years ago, Katie Davis was homecoming queen at her high school in the United States. Today, the 22-year-old is a single mother of 13 girls in Uganda and feeding hundreds of hungry children every day.

In 2008, Davis started a non-profit organization called Amazima, which means “truth” in the Lugandan language. With help from donors, Amazima sponsors 400 orphaned or vulnerable children to go to school. It also assists them with food, medication, and school supplies to ease the burden on their parents or relatives and ensure that the children can be raised by Ugandans in Uganda. The job of director supports Davis and her foster daughters in Uganda.

When she’s asked if 13 girls are too many to care for, Davis is adamant that she can handle it and says the courts in Uganda agree. For each girl, a judge has ruled that Davis’ guardianship is in the child’s best interests. Davis still needs to gain legal guardianship of some of the girls, which costs $3,000 in legal fees. She’s authored a book to be released in October, called “Kisses from Katie,” to raise the money.

A child welfare official in Uganda, Caroline Bankusha, says 13 girls in one foster home isn’t ideal, but concedes that so many children in Uganda suffer from poverty and lack of care that exceptions must be made.

While Davis wants to adopt the girls, she’s too young. Under Ugandan law, adoptive parents must be 25 years of age, and at least 21 years older than the child to be adopted.

“I think that’s definitely something that I was made for, and God just designed me that way because he already knew that this is what the plan was for my life, even though I didn’t,” she said.

US college student stays committed to Romanian orphans

Clare first went to a Romanian orphanage 11 years ago. She was 17, and her school offered a chance to volunteer over spring break. That week, she got an idea that would change her life – and the lives of the kids.

Former street child in Indonesia gives back to kids in need

Willie from Indonesia grew up as an orphan on the street, where he faced sectarian violence, forced labor and broken promises. Now, he is working, studying and volunteering at the crisis center where he’d found refuge.

Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation
The Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation is a non-profit organization which supports socially deprived children and youths in the areas of education and vocational training in Central America and Asia.

Internation Citizen Service (Facebook page)
ICS, launched by the UK government, is a global volunteering experience which supports young people from all backgrounds to make a real difference to some of the world’s poorest people.

John Dau Foundation
The John Dau Foundation is fulfilling the dream of Lost Boy and genocide survivor John Dau to provide healthcare in the war-torn region of South Sudan by building and sustaining medical clinics and training community health workers.

Nano Control
Nano-Control has got involved with healthy indoor air as well as research and elimination of the risks and helps people harmed.

The Free Child Project
The mission of The Freechild Project is to advocate, inform, and celebrate social change led by and with young people around the world, especially those who have been historically denied the right to participate.